Student groups around the world hosted events last week to raise awareness of the difficulties for students in Palestine.

Groups across North America and Europe worked closely with the student-run Right 2 Education Campaign, which operates out of Birzeit University in the West Bank. The week was described by campaign spokesperson Mu’men Iwaidah as ‘a great success’.

The events during Right 2 Education Week included specifically tailored lectures, debates and exhibitions at over 35 universities, as well as a series of event in Birzeit University. A highlight of the week was discussions between Palestinian students and students from around the world through video messaging. Brooklyn College’s Students for Justice in Palestine group called the reaction to their events ‘overwhelmingly positive’, with many students less familiar with the context coming away ‘surprised and upset to find out Israel is denying Palestinians their universal right to an education’.

Iwaidah explained the importance of the week for Palestinian students: ‘When talking to solidarity groups from around the world on Skype, we feel like we were penetrating the occupation’s control over the media. By telling our story we transfer the truth that everyone should know.’

Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates that ‘Everyone has the right to education’ but the nature of the military occupation in Palestine intrudes upon this. EAPPI reported that in the first half of 2013, 13,064 students were affected by access denial whilst UNICEF identified evidence of Palestinian students being attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Notes to Editor:

About the Right to Education Campaign

The Right to Education campaign is a grassroots Palestinian movement. Founded in 1988 the campaign documents, researches and raises consciousness about the oppression of Palestinian students, teachers and academic institutions under Israeli military occupation. We work to empower students to claim their human right to education, to overcome the isolation of Palestinian educational institutions and to demand an end to the illegal Israeli occupation.